Sam Nyamweya.PHOTO/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, March 8 – Former Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Sam Nyamweya has strongly opposed an objection by the management of FKF to interfere with rules and regulations of Premier League.
The objection to his petition by the Sports Dispute Tribunal is unwarranted as the court must be given an opportunity to determine the matter on its own merits.
He told Justice John Mativo, that the objection does not bring out the issues raised in the petition, it’s only when the defendants files a reply to the suit, is when the court can make a determined decision.
“The Preliminary objection is meant to dismiss the petition without hearing the constitutional violation by the defendants in the management of sports in the country” court heard.
The judge said that he will consider the objection raised and deliver a ruling on May 15, 2107.
Nyamweya has sought an order block FKF and their officials from discussing or interfering with ownership and management of the Kenyan Premier League.
He has sued the Sports Dispute Tribunal, FKF president Nick Mwendwa, CEO Robert Muthomi and KPL.
The former FKF boss says the two have made unilateral decisions to the detriment of football in the country.
The regulations complained of were adopted without input and participation from members and football stakeholders, saying that regulations fly in the face of FIFA and Confederation of African Football (CAF) guidelines.
FKF, he said, also ignored lawful orders given by Sports Dispute Tribunal on October 14, 2016 and went ahead to approve club licensing regulations ,which bordered on expansion of the league.
He seeks the court to intervene and prevent any deadlocks, which might lead to sanctioning of Kenya by the international football body FIFA.
Nyamweya is apprehensive that the country might miss out on hosting the 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) to the detriment of millions of fans if sanity is not restored.
FKF is a member association of FIFA and is in charge of organising the second tier football league (national super league) as well as other leagues below national league.
Kenyan premier league is in charge and owner of the top tier Kenyan Premier League and manages same.
Both FKF and KPL have been mutually managing and running the various leagues in the country for over ten years.
However, wrangles emerged between the two threatening to kill football, which in turn prompted FIFA’s intervention in 2005.
FIFA led normalisation process and committee recommended to optimize size of 16 teams in top tier league. This agreement was mutually accepted until September 24, 2015 when representatives of FKF and KPL signed their agreement to run for the period 2015-2020.
